This invention relates to a method for producing a self-supporting ceramic or ceramic composite body having a plurality of zones which differ from each other in at least one property. The self-supporting body is produced by the oxidation of a molten parent metal with an oxidant. This invention also relates to novel articles produced by the disclosed method.
In recent years there has been an increasing interest in substituting ceramics for metals because, with respect to certain properties, ceramics are superior to metals. There are, however, several known limitations or difficulties in making this substitution such as scaling versatility, capability to produce complex shapes, satisfying the properties required fo the end-use application, and costs. Many of these limitations or difficulties have been overcome by the inventions disclosed in patent applications assigned to the same assignee as this application and discussed in the subsequent section, which provide novel methods for reliably producing ceramic materials, including shaped composites.